Manhole cover lock



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Nmr. 6, E945.

J. J. MORRIS ET AL MANHOLE COVER LOCK Filed June 6, 1942 INVENT RSIPatented Nov. 6, 1945 John J. Morris, Tuckahoe, and William C.

Stohldreier, Bronxville, N. Y.

Application June 6, 1942, Serial No.446,018

7 Claims.

Our invention relates generally to improvements in manholes andanalogous structures, and the same has for its object to provide alocking mechanism for securing the covers or lids in place which issimple in construction, easy to operate and efiicient in use. 7

Further, said invention has for its object to provide means for securingthe covers of manholes and analogous structures scan 'to prevent theunauthorized opening of the manhole or the removal of the cover byunauthorized'persons.

Further, said invention has for its object to provide a locking-deviceof the character-specified which is carried wholly by the manhole coveror lgl so that the said cover and locking device maybe applied to orremoved from the manhole as a unit.

Further, said invention has for its object to provide a cover with alocking mechanism which has substantially none of its parts extendingabove the upper surface thereof where the same might be subject toinjury due to vehicular traffic passing over the road.

Further, said invention has for its object to :provide a locking deviceof the-character specifled which will operate to clamp the cover of amanhole more securely in place when an unauthorized attempt is made topry or otherwise .re- .move .thersame from its locked position.

Other objects will in part be obvious, and in part be pointed 1 outhereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, ourinventionconsists in the novel features of construction, and in'thecombination, connection and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed and then pointed out in the claims.

.In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan or top view showing one form of manhole cover andlocking means constructed accordingto, and embodying our said invention;

Figure 2 is atransverse section on the line '2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal :section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail side elevation of the .partsseen in planat Figure.3, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail top viewillus- .trating amodified-form oflocking means including four locking arms and the bearings therefor. Insaid drawing, referring to Figures v1 to '5, inclusive, l designates amanhole toasting or irameof annular form having inwardly-taperingsidewalls II and a lateral fiange 12 at its base'for supporting thecasting or frame 1H) .upon the m sonry ioundation 13 which lines the:man-

hole. The casting or frame 10 is provided upon its inner side directlybelow its upper edge with an inwardly-projecting supporting flange l4upon which is seated the usual manhole cover or lid I5. The upper sideof the cover i5 is provided with short projections l6, a centralrecessed opening I! to receive a bolt I8 which serves to support thelocking device about to be described, and acircu'l'ar'series of'airvents I l The bolt 18 is provided with a threaded lower portion I8and a reduced intermediate portion 18 which'latter is embraced by arevoluble bearing 19 having fixed position upon the bolt longitudinallythereof. 'Belowthe bearing I9 is promanhole casting when said'locking'arms 23 are adjusted'to locking position.

24 denotes loop-shaped links having their inner ends pivotally securedto the fixed bearing I9, and their outer or lower ends similarly securedto the arms 23 adjacent their inner ends which are secured to themovable threaded bearing 20.

In Figure 5 is show-n a modification in which the bearing 19 and thethreaded bearing '20 'are severally provided Withfour ends [9, and 2+ toreceive the inner ends of the four arms 23 which are 'operativelyconnected by links 24 The operation-of the device-will be-largelyobviousfrom the foregoing description. =It need merely be noted thatwhen the cover l5 is tobe secured in the opening of the manholecasting'or frame 10, the supporting bolt I8 is first rotatedcountor-clockwise by means of a suitable key or tool inserted into therecess I8 of the bolt 48, and the threaded bearing 20 caused to traveldownwardly upon the threaded portion of said bolt. By this operation theouter free endso'f the look- 'ing arms 23 will be caused to rise andmove inwardly towards the bolt l8, and permit of said ends to clear theinner edge of the flange 44 of the casting I0, and allow the cover to beseated upon'the flange I4. Hereupon a boltor pin, as for example, 26shown .in dottedlines'at Figure 12, is inserted into one of the air ventopenings l 'l gtmengage'with one or theother'of the looking arms 23 toarrest the rotation thereof when the bolt I8 is turned clockwise to drawup the threaded bearing 20 thereon and cause the free ends of the arms23 to assume a more horizontal or aligned position in which position theouter ends of said arms will firmly impinge upon the inner wall of thecasting l0, and engage with the underside of the fiange I4, and thushold the cover l firmly clamped or wedged in position Withinthecas'tingl0. The belt or rod'26 may be withdrawn assoon as the ends of the arms23 engage with the inner wall of the casting.

To remove the cover, it merely becomes neces Y sary to reverse theoperation above described.

It is to be noted that any attempt by an unauthorized person notpossessing the proper key or tool to engage the recess in the head ofthe bolt 18, to remove the cover by prying the same open will onlyresult in the more positive and effective engagement of the endsof thearms 23 with the walls of thecasting I0, and with the underside of theflange I4, due to the wedging action of the arms 23, in becoming morenearly aligned.

It is also to be noted that while we have shown same, and locking meansfor securing said cover in position withinsaid frame, a revolublesupport in said cover extending below the underside thereof, a bearingon said support and movable longitudinally thereof, locking armspivotally secured at their inner ends to said movable bearing, a secondbearing having fixed position upon but revoluble with respect to saidsupport and members severally connecting said last named bearing withsaid locking arms adjacent their pivoted ends; said revoluble support,when rotated, serving to move the outer free ends of said locking armsinto and out of looking engagement with the inner surfaces of ,saidmanhole frame.

4. A device of the character specified comprising'a manhole frame, acover for closing the same,

and described our invention in connection with a manhole and cover, thatthe same is not limited thereto, but is equally applicable to otherforms or types of receptacles or containers.

Having thus described our invention whatwe -1. A device of the characterspecified comprisinga manhole frame, .a cover for closingthe same, andlocking means for securing said cover in position within said frame,said locking means comprising a revoluble vertical support suspendedfrom said cover, a revoluble member mounted in fixed position on saidsupport, a bearing mounted on said support below said fixed member andmovable upon said support longitudinally thereof, a plurality of lockingarms each pivotally secured at its inner end to said movable bearing,and link members each pivotally secured at its inner end to said fixedbearing and its other end pivotally secured to one of, said locking armsadjacent the inner pivoted end thereof, said vertical support, whenrotated, serving to actuate said movable bearing to move the free outerends of said locking arms into and out of locking engagement with theinner surface of .said manhole frame.

.at its inner end to said movablebearing, link members each pivotallysecured at its inner end to said fixed member and its other endpivotally secured to one of said locking arms adjacent the inner pivotedend thereof,

and cooperating means arranged in part upon said revoluble verticalsupport, and in part upon said movable bearing for causing said movablebearing to travel upon said vertical support when said vertical supportis rotated and move the free, outer ends I of said locking arms into andfrom engagement with the inner surface of said manhole frame.

3. A device of the-character specified compris- .ing agmanhole frame, acover'for closing the claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

and locking means carried by said cover; said locking means comprising arevoluble actuating member depending from said support, a travelingbearing on said actuating member, a plurality of arms pivotally securedat their inner ends to. said traveling bearing, a revoluble memberhaving fixed position on said actuating member above said bearing, meansoperatively connecting said arms with said fixed member for causing theouter ends of said arms to engage with said manhole frame upon rotationof said actuating mem her, and means for holding said arms againstrotation upon said actuating member while manipulating the device.

5. A device of the character specified comprising a manhole frame, acover for closing the same,

and locking means carried by said cover comprising a memberlooselydisposed in said cover having a depending threaded portion, a threadedbearing working on the threaded portion of said depending member, aplurality of arms pivotally secured at their inner ends to said threadedbearing, amember having fixed position on said depending member andrevoluble with respect thereto,- and means connecting said fixed memberwith said arms adjacent their inner ends;

said first-named member, when rotated, serving to move the free ends ofsaid arms into engage- .ment with the manhole frame to hold said coverin locked position therein. 6. A device of the character specifiedcomprising a manhole frame, a flange therein, a cover seated on saidflange for closing said frame, and locking means carried by said covercomprising a member loosely disposed centrally withinv said cover havinga depending threaded portion, a threaded bearing working on' saiddepending threaded portion, a plurality of arms pivotally 1 secured attheir inner ends to said threaded bearing, a member revolubly mounted onsaid firstnamed member, and having fixed position relative thereto, andlinks connecting said revolubly fixed member with said arms adjacenttheir inner ends; saidfirst-named member, when actuated, serving tovcause the free ends of said arms to engage with the inner wall of saidmanhole frame and r with the flange thereof to hold said cover locked inposition within saidv frame.

7;. A device of the character specified comprising a manhole frame, acover-supporting flange therein, a cover seated on said flange, andlooking means comprising a supporting and actuating bolt looselydisposed centrally 'upon said cover and having a threaded portion, saidbolt having a reduced intermediate portion, a threaded bearing memberworking on the threaded portion'of said supporting bolt means forlimiting the travel'of said threaded bearing .upon said bolt, aplu'rality of arms pivotally secured at their inner'ends to saidthreaded bearing member, a second member having fixed position upon saidbolt and revolubly embracing the reduced intermediate portion thereof,and links connecting the member embracing the reduced intermediateportion of said bolt with said arms adjacent their inner ends; saidsupporting and actuating bolt serving to move the free ends of said armsinto and out of operative engagement with the manhole frame; the freeends of said arms being engageable with means insertable through saidmanhole cover for holding said arms against rotation when said 5 bolt isrotated to operate the device.

JOHN J. MORRIS. WILLIAM C. STOHLDREIER.

